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Geopolitics · Asia Pacific

Malaysia bars civil servants from Waze as company denies data risks

Malaysia barred civil servants from using Waze, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim citing concerns about government information and personal-data security. Waze rejected allegations that it collects sensitive government information or permits personal data to be exploited.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 7 independent reports from 8 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 7 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 9 entries
This story was corrected on Oct 22, 2026 following an editorial review.
8 outlets3 regionsLatest reporting 2 min read
Coverage: Mostly CenterL 0 · C 5 · R 1 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Malaysia
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Anwar Ibrahim ordered an immediate ban on civil servants using Waze, citing concerns about government information and personal-data security.
  • The Prime Minister's Office said the ban aimed to protect information and personal data from what it called a threat of misuse by the Israeli government.
  • Waze told Reuters the allegations that it collects sensitive government information or allows personal data to be exploited were false.
  • Anwar Ibrahim said the government was examining potential security risks and that Waze was subject to Israeli laws.
  • TuJu launched in November 2025 and offers live traffic information, selected highway CCTV feeds, toll fares and facilities.

The brief

Malaysia has barred civil servants from using Waze, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim citing concerns about government information and personal-data security. The Prime Minister's Office said the measure was intended to protect government information and users' personal data from a threat it attributed to possible misuse by the Israeli government. Waze rejected the allegations.

The company told Reuters that claims it collects sensitive government information or allows personal data to be exploited were false. That denial addresses the data-collection and exploitation claims; the government has said it is examining potential security risks. Anwar said Waze was subject to Israeli laws.

The Prime Minister's Office framed the ban around protecting government information and personal data, while Waze disputed the allegations about its handling of that information. The decision applies to civil servants, and Anwar also urged Malaysians to switch to Tuju. Tuju launched in November 2025.

It offers live traffic information, selected highway CCTV feeds, toll fares and information about facilities. Bernama reported that the app had reached 700,000 downloads. The reported features include viewing selected highway CCTV feeds, alongside live traffic information and toll-related details.

Bernama also reported that Tuju experienced a technical disruption after a significant increase in users following Anwar's comments encouraging Malaysians to switch. The report links the disruption in sequence to the increase in users, but does not specify its duration or the number of users affected.

The government is examining potential security risks associated with Waze, while the company has denied the central data-related allegations. The immediate issues are how the government's security review develops and whether Tuju can manage the additional users after the reported disruption.

Why it matters

  • Malaysian civil servants face an immediate change in navigation-app use because the government has barred them from Waze.
  • The Prime Minister's Office identifies government information and users' personal data as the stakes, citing a threat of misuse by the Israeli government.
  • Tuju's reported 700,000 downloads and technical disruption after a surge in users show the operational pressure associated with Anwar's call to switch.

What to watch next

  • Whether the Malaysian government identifies any security risks as it examines Waze.
  • Whether Waze provides further information addressing the government's stated concerns and the allegations it denied.
  • Whether Tuju experiences further technical disruption as users respond to Anwar's call to switch.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
8 source articles · 8 unique outlets · 7 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mostly Center· 5 Center · 1 Right · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Asia 38% · Middle East 25% · Other 37%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Center
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
5 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
8 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (5 of 6 rated sources); comparatively few Left-rated outlets have published on the event.
How we measure coverage

One source is from a wire service (AP, Reuters, AFP or Bloomberg), whose reporting other outlets often republish.

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in 1981 that Malaysia would not establish such relations while Palestinians lacked a state; Malaysia has continued to support Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Israel enacted the Protection of Privacy Law.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. FreeMap Israel was renamed Waze.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Malaysia enacted the Personal Data Protection Act, covering personal-data processing in commercial transactions.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Google announced its acquisition of Waze in June 2013.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Israel adopted Privacy Protection Regulations setting security requirements for databases.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Malaysia brought the Cyber Security Act 2024 into force.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. Malaysia gazetted the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2024.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  9. Malaysia launched TuJu, a navigation service offering live traffic information, selected highway CCTV feeds, toll fares and facilities.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Malaysia’s TuJu launched in November 2025 with live traffic information, selected highway CCTV feeds, toll fares and facilities, giving public agencies a locally offered navigation alternative before the dispute over Waze. Malaysia has never established diplomatic relations with Israel.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in 1981 that Malaysia would not establish such relations while Palestinians lacked a state; Malaysia has continued to support Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. That diplomatic position forms part of the political context for Malaysian officials’ scrutiny of a navigation service founded in Israel.

Original sources

1 of 8 articles · Global · Show all

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